William Mast, banker, merchant and stockman, Goff, Kans., is a native of Nebraska, born in Richardson county, February 6, 1876. He is a son of William and Mary (Bertram) Mast, natives of Germany, who came to this country when children, with their parents. The father was an attorney, practising for several years at Richardson county, Nebraska, where he also served as probate judge for a time. He came to Kansas with his family in 1888, settling on a farm in Granada township, Nemaha county. He retired in 1893, and removed to Goff where he died in 1897. William Mast, Jr., the subject of this sketch, received his education in the district schools, and assisted his father on the farm. In 1895, when the father retired, William and his brother, Herman, took charge of the home farm, and worked it in partnership. They followed farming and stock raising, extensively, until in 1901, when the partnership was dissolved. William then began farming alone, having leased a half section of land. Here he carried on general farming, and engaged heavily in the cattle and hog business, but recently he makes a specialty of buying and feeding cattle, and perhaps is the largest feeder and shipper in the county, handling thousands of cattle, as well as several hundred hogs annually, and has been very successful in this line. He is an extensive land owner, and has 1,265 acres in Kansas, besides considerable farm property in Missouri. In addition to his cattle business, he is an extensive mule dealer. He is also interested in the mercantile business at Goff, and was one of the organizers of the Home State Bank of Goff, and was its first vice-president. In 1912 he became president of that institution, a position which he now holds. Mr. Mast is one of the successful young men of the State, and is truly the architect of his own fortune. He is a hard worker, and every dollar that he possesses is the result of his own efforts. As a business man he is recognized as a leader.